Portable and collapsible steam saunas are well known in the art. These steam saunas have many advantages over stationary and permanent steam saunas such as portability and ease of use in remote locations, quick and convenient set up and use, readably foldable into convenient packages for ease of carrying, etc.
Unfortunately, many portable steam saunas utilize structures which are not practical and reliable for use in the environments in which they are utilized, i.e. excessive heat and moisture. For example, such structures utilize metal framing structures which typically rust and corrode in environments containing excessive moisture. Typically, most metallic frame members are good heat conductors and may become dangerously hot, especially when a user comes in contact with the metallic frame members. Also, such metallic frame members may be unnecessarily heavy thus adding weight to the steam sauna and decreasing the convenience of the portability feature of the steam sauna.
Other portable steam sauna structures utilize hinges, brackets, linkages, telescopic cylinders, struts, and other conventional fasteners to collapse, fold, and portablize their steam sauna structures. Such fasteners, especially fasteners fabricated from metallic materials or fasteners that require lubrication to function properly, are not reliable when utilized in environments containing excessive heat and moisture. Such fasteners may corrode and loose their lubrication such that their performance degrades or fails completely. Also, the continuous functioning of these fasteners may lead to the loosening and constant readjustment of such fasteners in order that such fasteners perform properly. Again, metallic components typically add weight to the structure thus reducing the convenience of the portability feature of the steam sauna while also conducting heat thus becoming uncomfortably hot when contacted by a user.
To enclose such framing structures, many of the prior known portable steam saunas utilize wood, plastics, leathers and acrylics. Such materials are often used for their support and/or portability in order to form and establish a small convenient package. Unfortunately, many of these materials have hard surface characteristics as well as having heat bearing characteristics, and thus, these materials may be uncomfortable when contacted by a user.